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Friday, November 29, 2013

Abused "Warrior" Puppy and Boy with Autism Make Perfect Team

For the past few days, I've been
debating whether or not to write about Black Friday, but then I
thought, we already have a Black Friday post, and I'm actually
pretty tired of the whole post-Thanksgiving shenanigans. Instead I
bring to you an absolutely heartwarming story to make you feel happy
to be a reasonable human instead of a bumbling bargain beast. Be it
known I rarely call things “absolutely heartwarming” and actually
mean it. This time, I mean it. I only hope I can relay to you the
fuzzies this story gave to me.

This is Jonny Hickey before he met
Xena:

And this is Xena before she met Jonny:

Jonny is an eight year old Georgia boy
who has autism. Although Jonny can speak and read proficiently, he
spent most of his life quiet and isolated, choosing solitary
activities like playing with marbles over often painful social
interactions.

Xena was a severely neglected puppy who
was brought into DeKalb County Animal Services shelter in Georgia
after collapsing from weakness in somebody's yard. She weighed four
pounds and seemed unlikely to survive the night. However, with vet
visits, nutritional supplements, and fluids, she pulled through and
was named Xena the Warrior Puppy. A Facebook page was made in her
honor, which is how Linda Hickey, Jonny's mom, found the dog that
would change her son's life.

When Xena was strong enough, she made
an appearance at a Friends of DeKalb Animals fundraising
event, and Linda took her family to meet the puppy she had already
fallen in love with on the internet.

“We were literally there for four
minutes,” Hickey tells TODAY.com, “and Xena ran right up to Jonny
and my husband.”

They adopted Xena soon after.

During their first trial day with the
new puppy, Linda brought Xena with her to pick Jonny up from school.
She instantly smothered him with kisses and unconditional affection
and took her place sitting on Jonny's lap. “That's where she's been
ever since.”

This is Jonny and Xena now that they've
found each other.

Since Jonny met Xena, he has been his
happiest. He is talkative, playful, and engaged, and he loves to sing and tell his family about the things he did in school on a
given day. With Xena's help, Jonny's personal space issues have
improved; Xena can usually be found leaning, sitting, or lying on
Jonny. Even though they weigh nearly the same, Jonny seems to really
appreciate the contact.

Since Xena met Jonny, she has gained
her health and a needed friend who reciprocates her unconditional
love. She was also recently named ASPCA Dog of the Year.